Word parts
What it means
About 6 to 10 days after fertilization, the early embryo (a blastocyst) burrows into the thick lining of the uterus. From there it begins to grow the placenta and make the pregnancy hormone hCG, which pregnancy tests detect. Some people notice light spotting at this time (implantation bleeding). When implantation happens outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube, it is an ectopic pregnancy. The word is also used for placing a device in the body, such as an implanted port.
For the nurse
Teach that light spotting around the time of an expected period can happen early in pregnancy, but heavy bleeding or one-sided belly pain needs to be checked at once.
At a glance
| Spanish | implantación |
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Related terms
prenatal care
Health care for a pregnant person and the unborn baby during pregnancy, before birth.
uterine
Relating to the uterus, the womb.
pregnancy
The time during which an embryo, then a fetus, develops inside the uterus, from conception to birth.